1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cooking apparatuses and, in particular, to cooking apparatuses that may be tilted, rotated or otherwise moved while food is being cooked in the cooking apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Cooking can be approached from a variety of perspectives. For some, cooking is simply a chore. To others, cooking is artistic expression. To still others, cooking is nothing more than a mundane necessity. However, one's perspective on cooking notwithstanding, the task of cooking can be burdensome. To prepare a meal that is palatable requires constant supervision of the cooking process.
Careful and undivided attention is a necessity while cooking. Food that is exposed to heat for too long without being turned over or moved may overcook or even burn. Food that does not receive enough heat or food that receives uneven heat may undercook. In either case, the resulting food may be poorly prepared and unpalatable or even unhealthy to eat.
Many attempts have been made to overcome some of the burdens associated with cooking. For example, many devices in the prior art attempt to alleviate cooks and chefs from the constant supervision of the cooking process by providing cooking apparatuses that rotate, causing food to tumble, thereby cooking food relatively evenly. However, many of these prior art devices are containers that completely enclose the food to prevent the food from exiting the container while being rotated. Thus, in these devices, it may not be possible to see the food while it cooks; attempts to visually observe the food while it is cooking may be frustrated. Because the food may not be visible or because visibility may be limited, it may not always be possible to determine precisely when the food inside the container is properly cooked. This may result in food that is unpalatable or even unhealthy.
In addition, enclosing the food in a container eliminates many of the benefits of “open-air” cooking. For example, in addition to not being able to see the food while it is cooking, the unique taste characteristics associated with food that is allowed to “breath” while cooking are unavailable. Thus, food cooked in these enclosed containers is generally not as tasteful as food that is prepared in an open container.